Youth and the Changing Narrative of Pakistan
  
A conversation with
 The Emerging Leaders of Pakistan Fellows

Introduced and Moderated by 
Huma Haque 
Associate Director, South Asia Center
Atlantic Council 
 

Too often Pakistan is portrayed as an unstable and dangerous place in the media. Recent tragedies at Bacha Khan University and the Army Public School in Peshawar support this narrative and suggest that youth have become targets. However, across Pakistan, youth are challenging narratives and spearheading micro-revolutions in inclusivity, innovation, and creativity in their communities. The Emerging Leaders of Pakistan (ELP) fellowship seeks to empower these leaders. The fellows are tackling Pakistan's most pressing challenges as social entrepreneurs, artists, educators, storytellers, minority rights activists, interfaith interlocutors, aspiring politicians, and tech innovators. Read bios of the ELP Fellows here.

We invite the Islamabad communty to meet Fellows from the 2012-2015 classes, and discuss Pakistan's priorities with these changemakers. 2015 Fellows Rafia Farooqui, a social activist and aspiring water-expert; Usman Khan, a tech entrepreneur; and Sawai Mal, a minority and youth rights activist, will discuss their work and experience in the United States. A networking reception with interactive stalls featuring other ELP fellows’ work will follow the formal discussion.